We've spent most of the last 20 years in Europe, the bulk of our time in Stockholm, Sweden. A year in London, England and a year in Paris, France have been ours to enjoy as well. Our US home is in Desert Hot Springs, CA where we have landed for the time being.

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Thursday, December 26, 2013

'Twas The Day After Christmas...

So...depending on where you are in the world, today is Annan Dag Jul (second day of Christmas in Sweden), Boxing Day, The Feast of St. Stephen (made famous in the carol Good King Wenceslas...he went out on the Feast of Stephen if you know the first line!) or in our case, wow, after a super busy season, we really have nothing we have to do today,day! I'm savoring this quiet morning...watching the day break, candles lit, King's College Cambridge singing Christmas carols...peace and contentment are the reigning emotions. Thankful. Blessed. Humbled.So another Christmas season is over. We've had a great time with our services and parties, culminating with our annual Christmas Open House yesterday. Doug and I shared a quiet morning, sipping coffee, opening presents, enjoying a moment together. Doug enjoyed opening his gifts that eventually revealed a trip a London Jan. 6-9 to visit friends and see the show Spamalot. We've been wanting to see this musical based on Monty Python's Search for the Holy Grail for many years and when I saw that it had returned to London, I jumped at the chance! This is what he opened that revealed the show!

Meanwhile, I opened up a beautiful new glass pitcher to replace the one that shattered a few weeks ago, a practical and nice looking new bag for my computer and other work stuff, and a spa day. My hubby knows me well! Soon it was time to kick it into high gear and get ready to welcome 80 of our closest church members to enjoy our annual Christmas feast! Doug began setting up the house and I began mixing, chopping, and fixing! My helper elves began to arrive around 2.00 and they rolled the sausages in dough for the pigs in a blanket, peeled carrots, arranged the gravad (cured) lax on a platter and generally helped me get it all ready to serve! We tasted the good stuff along the way and enjoyed the camaraderie of sharing in the kitchen tasks! Soon the tables were ready, the cider was hot, and people began arriving. All in all we likely had between 80-90 come through this year. There were few left overs this year and my homemade toffee and chocolate chip cookies remain a big hit! I'm thankful that most of it is gone as I need to stop eating it!

No snow or ice impeded people and we had a great time! Our friend Jen thrilled the adults and children alike by donning the famed Santa Suit and we rounded out the Christmas Carol preaching series by showing The Muppet Christmas Carol for the kids!

The gathering brings us joy and there are fewer things I love more than to make good food and watch people enjoy it! It's such a wonderful way to finish out the Christmas season and since today is a holiday in Sweden, it's great to gather on Christmas day evening!

We always receive many lovely gifts, loads of chocolate and flowers from people joining us. This year we received an incredibly beautiful and diverse array of flowers! I love each and every one of them and want to savor their beauty for a long as I can! It's good to get some new ones in. My poinsettias and hyacinth are now on the wane! They've served me well throughout this Advent and Christmas season!

I ended the day by Skyping with my dad. Poor guy has had a terrible sinus infection. Fortunately he got into the Dr. on Christmas eve which was quite important as he needed to get started on antibiotics. So he's been in bed for much of the holidays but he said he didn't really mind because it kept his mind off my mom being gone. We've missed her for sure. It was so nice to talk with my dad via Skype, see his face, share our happenings. It is now just about a month until we leave for the US so we're excited about that.

Tonight we're invited to dear friends for their annual Christmas Turkey dinner. They live up the street from us so it's very nice to simply walk up there and enjoy a feast that someone else has prepared.

I feel so blessed. Our life is so rich. We are so thankful for our church family who enrich our lives in every way possible, for the love of family, even though they are far away from us, for friends near and far who we continue to enjoy seeing and hearing from. Christmas is over but the spirit of Christ is alive and well in my heart. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gifts.